Just started reading, interesting things I see, if this is your dream peruse no mater what anyone says. I do have one question, and one comment.

How do you adjust thrust angle or get an alignment?

As for the previous comments about one engine on, one off, do note, 99.9% of transmissions are only lubricated properly when: Automatics have the pump running IE torque converter spinning meaning engine running. Manuals have the counter-shaft or FWD the input shaft spinning. So unless with a manual, you leave it in a gear, and your foot holding the clutch, anytime the car is moving with the engine off, you will prematurely wear your transmission out. Thus why there is in your owners manual an allowed distance you can tow with the drive wheels on the ground, and that it is NOT recommended. (Credibility? I am a ASE certified master technician, AND work at the Aisin Warner tech center doing......durability testing) FYI the largest producer of automatic transmissions in the world.

Manual transmissions will have the output shaft spinning when the vehicle is moving, clutch in or clutch out. And since all manuals that I know of are constant-mesh, the gear sets will always be spinning as well. Splash-lubricated transmissions will be lubricated by the movement of the gears. If the transmission is lubricated by pumped oil, and the pump is driven off the output shaft, it will still pump. If it is driven off the input shaft, that could be a problem.

If you check in the owner's manual for your car, it should say whether or not your car can be "flat towed", towed with all four wheels on the ground. If it can, then you are fine coasting with the engine off. If it cannot, then your transmission is likely to be damaged by coasting much without the engine running.

Just started reading, interesting things I see, if this is your dream peruse no mater what anyone says. I do have one question, and one comment.

How do you adjust thrust angle or get an alignment?

As for the previous comments about one engine on, one off, do note, 99.9% of transmissions are only lubricated properly when: Automatics have the pump running IE torque converter spinning meaning engine running. Manuals have the counter-shaft or FWD the input shaft spinning. So unless with a manual, you leave it in a gear, and your foot holding the clutch, anytime the car is moving with the engine off, you will prematurely wear your transmission out. Thus why there is in your owners manual an allowed distance you can tow with the drive wheels on the ground, and that it is NOT recommended. (Credibility? I am a ASE certified master technician, AND work at the Aisin Warner tech center doing......durability testing) FYI the largest producer of automatic transmissions in the world.

Dont know how Ill do a alignment at this time.....

As for the trans engine on and off that was a few members Not my plans.
But the towing says tow from front or back or all four with no distance mention
But good info thanks
Will update pics of the rear area soon this week.

A RT can keep the motorcycle registration. SCV (Specially Constructed Vehicle) tags are a b?tch to get, and the vehicles themselves are a b?tch to insure once you get the tag.

They're a relatively small investment. Most of the RTs I've seen and wanted were built with less than $10K mine is just at $1000 right now and
almost ready I have some buds near here that build vw trikes thay look neat but mine has a heater windshield wipers rain lol you have the motor, transmission, all electronics (blinkers, etc), all ready in a neat little package.

They're just plain radical looking, and many people (myself included) like the weird looking stuff. I live in a geodesic dome lol

Last edited by groundflyer; 02-04-2013 at 01:26 PM..

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I'm an old RT guy. Never built a front wheel drive job but I've seen other guys do it and they work fine. Got an old Tri-Magnum that looks exactly like this one.

Tri-Magnums use a VW front end and you bolt any type of motorcycle frame to it. Had a 1500 Honda Goldwing at first, then a 650 Yamaha Turbo Seca 650. Valkyrie's are best because they have reverse. These things will out-corner a Corvette. That's not an opinion. It's been verified by Popular Mechanics magazine back in the 1980s. They are an absolute hoot to drive as contrasted with conventional trikes with one wheel in front which IMHO are suicide machines. RTs are super-stable, even more stable than cars. Don't turn over. Don't flip. Really. Why? All cars lift or go light on the inside rear wheel during hard cornering. Not so with an RT, which is glued like an MFer. No, they don't swap ends when they break free. The coefficient of friction is way up there. Anyone can learn to drive one well. I couldn't stop hootin' and hollerin' my first day in one.

This CRV set-up will kick ass. The problem with he smaller motorcycle engines is inadequate clutch area. No problem with the CRV. Length to width, you need 1.5 to 1.75 your wheelbase. That looks good. You can go a little longer - it's not critical. Weight distribution should be about the same on each wheel. The fuel tank should be towards the back of the seats where its influence is evenly distributed, not way back, because the weight changes. If you need to put more weight back there, use the battery and/or radiator. But you are sitting back pretty good in the CRV as is so it is probably close.

You're right to save aero for last. Weight reduction is the big thing. Put larger diameter, thin LRR tires on the front for better MPG numbers now that you're not pulling so much weight. Contis are real good. Same on the rear because you're not powering it. Use a hydraulic brake mixer sorta like the NASCAR guys use. You can hook up to your mechanical brake in back with a clutch slave cylinder. You'll just have to test it. An inline restricter will work for cheap but you can't adjust it on the fly for rain or dirt. You'll want something like 70-percent front, 30-percent rear applied force. This is real important. The rear brake keeps you straight. If you don't get it right, you'll flat-spot the rear tire or lose control during hard braking. Just take it out in the dirt first and stomp on the brakes, check your tracks, and set the adjustment to where nothing locks up. And you'll have to get used to checking the brake adjustment in back frequently.

I'm in California and we've always gotten away with registering our crazy stuff as motorcycles by welding that cylinder the forks attach to, with the VIN stamp, onto the rear frame and registering the vehicle as the motorcycle the frame belongs to. If there's any VIN numbers on the front part, like cars have, you have to take them off to show it's no longer a car and that stuff's just parts. Sometimes I had to try several DMVs to find someone with a sense of humor. But these days, sometimes you can run into trouble and try to get a special construction designation. You may need to find somebody who's drunk or on drugs. Good luck.

Never knew the Tri-Magnums were any kind of production. I remember the DIY version from Mechanix Illustrated. I was just thinking about it too, this thread, and all the DIY stuff here at EcoModder made me remember it and it's foam and fiberglass DIY body. Need to do a little Googling, thanks!

In my state, at least, the advantage of a trike is no restrictions on shape, bumpers, lights, safety equip. etc. I couldn't boatail a car without being illegal on bumper laws and many other things. My vw reverse trike lifted the rear wheel even when stopping hard on gravel. Had to move the battery, fuel tank, and anything else I could find to the rear. But it can be done, just remember the brakes produce a lot of torque.

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